The Top 10 Stories of November 6, 2012

The Top 10 Stories of November 6, 2012

Quote of the day.“This campaign-finance thing is crazy. Imagine all the people we could be feeding and helping with all the money that’s gone into ads.” Denise Benning, 53, Columbus OH.(Columbus Dispatch[6])

1. Polls give Obama edge over Romney, but it's too close to call.After a final cross-country campaign whirl by both candidates, President Obama heads into election day riding a slim lead in enough key states to secure a second term, while Mitt Romney remains competitive and could yet unseat him. (Los Angeles Times[7])

2. Campaign diary: Candidates final day in swing states.New York Times political reporters traveled with the presidential candidates and their running mates on the last day of campaigning before Election Day. What follows is a running diary of the day.(New York Times[8])

3. Vote poses challenge to storm-hit Northeast.Already faced with a massive cleanup and nightmarish commutes to work, thousands of voters in storm-struck New York and New Jersey may have a tough time voting in a cliffhanger presidential election. (Reuters[9])

4. Climate policy advances in the states, but slowly.While Tuesday’s election may not break the national logjam over how to address climate change, a few states will take decisive action on energy policy in the coming week. (Washington Post[10])

5. Record number complete high school and college.This year, for the first time, a third of the nation’s 25- to 29-year-olds have earned at least a bachelor’s degree. That share has been slowly edging up for decades, (New York Times[11])

6. How Egyptians are fighting harassment in the streets.Zaghaleel, which means "carrier pigeons" in Arabic, now comprises a growing number of women and men who form street patrols, effectively preventing assaults on women in public by talking to the assailants and drawing attention to their behavior. (Guardian[12])

7. Greeks strike against austerity.Workers in Greece have launched a 48-hour general strike across the public and private sectors in protest at a proposed new wave of austerity. (BBC[13])

8. Netanyahu says he'd go it alone on striking Iran.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday reiterated his willingness to attack the Iranian nuclear program without support from Washington or the world, returning to an aggressive posture that he had largely abandoned since his United Nations speech in September. (New York Times[14])

9. China's 'golden decade' brings some relief to rural poor.The gap widens between town and country, but welfare state begins to take root with healthcare, pensions and free lunches. (Guardian[15])

10. Africa: leading the way for women.This has been a great year for women in power in Africa with the election of a second female president, the appointment of the first female head of the African Union, and not one, but two female Nobel prizewinners. (Guardian[16])